spoiler!!! series 4 info. spoiler!!!

I just saw this on the Outpost Gallifrey site. The Ood are to return in a series 4 episode entitled "Planet of the Ood". I know the Oodare popular, particularly with the action figure collectors so I thought I'd pass the news along. Hopefully it will be a goodepisode.

Filming is underway for Series Four of Doctor Who, with Catherine Tate reprising her role as Donna, the runaway bride featured in last year's Christmas Special.

The start of the new series will see Donna tracking down the Time Lord during an alien emergency in modern-day London. The couple are destined to experience a series of wonderful adventures throughout the new series including meeting one of Doctor Who's most popular aliens, The Ood in a brand new episode, Planet of The Ood.

Catherine Tate said: "I am delighted to be returning to Doctor Who. I had a blast last Christmas and look forward to travelling again through time and space with that nice man from Gallifrey."

Donna and The Doctor will also be travelling through time for an encounter with the legendary murder mystery novelist, Agatha Christie, played by Jekyll star Fenella Woolgar. Fenella will be joined by The Good Life actress Felicity Kendal, who will star as Lady Clemency Eddison.

"What a brilliant idea that Agatha Christie and Doctor Who should meet!," noted Matthew Prichard, Agatha Christie's grandson. "Two characters whose contribution to British entertainment is absolutely unrivalled. As far as I know my grandmother, Agatha Christie, never saw Doctor Who, but I am sure she would have been intrigued, excited and above all flattered by all this attention in 2007."

Doctor Who's executive producer and head writer, Russell T Davies comments: "Visiting Agatha Christie has been on my wish-list for ages now, and for the Doctor, it's a real meeting of minds! Viewers can expect many more ambitious storylines and a whole host of guest stars in 2008."

Blackadder and Notting Hill Actor Tim McInnerny will also guest star later in the series.

Freema Agyeman who has played Martha Jones, The Doctor's companion throughout the critically acclaimed third series will return to the show to join The Doctor and Donna mid series.

"This year's Christmas Special was always going to have a one-off companion, little knowing that it would be Kylie!," reveals head writer and executive producer Russell T Davies in a candid interview in the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine."I like the Christmas-ness of a one-off," he adds. "As you'll see, there's a whole new take - again - on what a companion can be..."Russell also reveals secrets concerning the return of 'Runaway Bride' Donna... "She gives us the chance to be blunt about things, and be gobsmacked by things."Of course, she'll still be brave and heroic sometimes, and she'll save the Doctor's life, but equally... for example, there's one episode where they land on an alien planet, and the first thing she does is go back in the TARDIS to find the right coat!"Also in the mag, Classic Series designer Barry Newbery is given a VIP tour of the Doctor Who studios; Edward Thomas gives an in-depth insight into production design and the Doctor and Martha begin a new comic strip adventure, The First. Plus, Gareth Roberts pens Production Notes.DWM 386 goes on sale from Thursday 23 August 2007.

Okay, somebody needs to lock him in a Dalek for a while until he stops thinking things like this make a good character...and the first thing she does is go back in the TARDIS to find the right coat! More of the self involved Donna is not what I was hoping for this time.

The Rani returns.Veteran actress JOAN COLLINS will play a DOCTOR WHO villain in the forthcoming series of the hit British show, according to media reports.The 74-year-old Dynasty star is reported to play The Doctor's arch-nemesis...

Veteran actress?!? That's like saying some one like Jesse Helms was an experienced Senator. Still sounds nicer than saying old actress. Couldn't find this anywhere else though, maybe a fluff piece from her camp to get her on the show? Either way if it's true you can picture her lasting as long as Jacobi did. End of Season 3's last ep definitely makes more sense with this story.

Catherine Tate has revealed her surprise and delight at being invited to reprise her role as Donna for Series Four of Doctor Who.

"When I was asked to do it, I genuinely couldn't believe they'd asked me," she told the mag. "I was having lunch with Julie Gardner and it was the last thing I thought we were going to have a conversation about. She said it, and I nearly... well, I... even now, I just can't believe it. I'm speechless."

Catherine also confesses that she's not quite up to speed with Doctor Who mythology yet. "This is how un-into-it I was before: I didn't know that there was more than one kind of alien; I just thought it was always the Daleks."

Anybody else a little bothered by that last part? I know it's not a requirement to know everything about a project you're involved in, but wouldn't you at least have had some interest in it before getting involved to the degree of costar?

Christopher Ryan, best known for playing super-cool Mike in the classic comedy series The Young Ones, is set for a guest-starring role in an upcoming Series Four adventure.

Ryan will play a Sontaran leader in the story, due to begin filming in the next few weeks.

"I'm absolutely delighted to be appearing in this new Doctor Who," Chris revealed. "The last time I appeared in Doctor Who was in 1986, Colin Baker was the Doctor and I was still a Young One."

The story in question was the Trial Of A Time Lord, where Chris starred as the slug-like Mentor Kiv alongside Trevor Laird, who played Martha's dad in 2007.

If you know your Who lore, the Sontarans will need no introduction. If you're a newer viewer, however, you may not know that the Sontarans are amongst the greatest villains from the classic series of Doctor Who.

A military, warlike species, able to clone vast armies of themselves, the Sontarans are locked into an eternal struggle with their enemies the Rutans.